Today’s guest blogger, Cori Padgett, is new to OTR and is just as fabulous as our other visiting authors!  She’s a busy mompreneur who has few tricks up her sleeve that help keep her head above water.

Let’s just say that organized and productive are pretty relative terms when it comes to what I do and how I do it!  While I have all the theory and know how to stay on top of things and keep my business running smoothly… implementing that theory and know how is another story altogether.  Sometimes things simply do NOT go according to plan!

However, there are a few things that I find help me to keep things efficient, which is what I’ll share with you now.

Create a Schedule for Yourself

I know, sounds a bit dumb… after all, you go into work for yourself to work how you want, when you want.

Right?

Except when you operate from that mindset, what happens is that the things that should be done end up falling by the wayside, because you wind up not managing your time appropriately.  So… set a schedule for yourself, even if it’s a somewhat loose one.

Figure out what are your most productive times of the day, and make it a point to reserve those hours specifically for high priority projects whenever possible.  For me, that is usually from 8am to 2 or 3pm, which are the hours that my kids are in school.  After 3pm, any additional work I get done is just gravy!

Create Timed Priorities

I’m a ghostwriter, so the bulk of my high value activities involve writing consistently.  I’ve found the best way for me to do this is to do it in blocks, or chunks of time.  So invest in a simple kitchen timer, set it on your desk, allocate 15, 30, or 45 minutes, or whatever chunk of time feels most comfortable to you… and then start working until that timer dings.  No stopping, no getting distracted, no interruptions.

When the timer dings, take a 10 or 15 minute break to recharge, goof off, check Facebook, grab a snack or whatever you need to do… then set your timer again and start another round of productivity.  Aim for 5-10 of these blocks a day (depending upon how long you make them) and you’ll suddenly find that your productivity and overall efficiency skyrockets.  Stick with it at least 21 days in a row… and suddenly you’ve got a new great habit!

Give Yourself a Break

For me, it’s not an easy job running a business, raising a family, and being a partner to my guy.  But killing yourself trying to be super-human doesn’t cut it.  Perfection is highly over-rated, let me tell ya.  So I prefer instead to strive for excellence in the things I do, not perfection… and if I screw up… miss a deadline… write something that’s a total flop.  Oh well… it happens.

My priorities are my kids and family, and my business comes second, as much as I adore it.  So even if I’m drowning in work, screwing up right and left, and have major fires that need dousing… if it’s after 3pm and my kiddies are home demanding my attention… my attention is what they get! Everything else can be worried about later.

So cut yourself a break when you need to, and don’t get too hung up on mistakes or blunders… follow that schedule as best you can, and if you veer off a bit… life happens, sometimes you have to just roll with it.

About the Author

Cori is a wildly hire-able freelance ‘ghost’ as well as the creative brains and dubious brawn behind her blog Big Girl Branding. If you’d like to harness her creative brains and dubious brawn and put it to work for you, just stalk her on Twitter and ask her. I’m “almost” sure she doesn’t bite. Well… like 95% sure.

Connect With Cori: Web | Blog | Twitter

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